Winter Illness

Winter colds and flu – the choice we have and the choices we make.
With so many employees off work over the past month as we hit the winter of winters I started thinking of the choices people have when a cold or flu sets in.
The ones with medical aid often run themselves and their family off to the doctor at the first sign of a cough, cold, temperature, vomiting. Once the Winter Illness prescription has be obtained everybody feels safe and happy to invade the body with all manner of chemical substances that frankly are foreign toxins that suppress the symptoms until the body heals itself anyway.
I have noticed that when people do not have medical aid they hit the pharmacy or supermarket to self medicate with the most popular TV ad recommendation for the season. Remember the ad that said “you can’t take every cough to a doctor”? Mmm can’t remember the product and, well I wouldn’t personally like to give them air time on this blog anyway.
When will people realize that the doctor does not heal you and neither does the medication? The doctor usually allays fears of death and dreaded disease (in the case of the coughs, colds etc and that for some is an essential part of their healing. Your immune system is what you need to rely on to get over the short-term misery of the cold/flu. When you are feeling fine, which for some includes the more than occasional headache, indigestion, constipation, heartburn etc etc you might not be aware that this is the time to give your body the best nutrition so that when the chips are down your body has the resources to get above it.
Someone once told me that if you get the flu and go to a GP it will take 14 days before you feel better. If you go to a Homeopath it will take two weeks and if you do nothing it will take a fortnight.
When the occasional cold / cough etc hits me or Michael I have my favorite standby ‘medications’ that seem to motivate the immune system to get on with the job. My top of the list favorites are Tissue Salts. No 5 and No 9 or the Coughs and Colds Combin. (More info on Tissue Salts in another post). Then there is Echinacea which I don’t always do – I usually ask my body if it want it and only if I get a resounding yes do I use that. Another big-time favorite is Olive Leaf Extract. I have been told by devotees of this substance that if you take this before winter you seldom ever come down with the winter blues. Now, if a cough is the problem then this old fashioned home remedy has been a winner, Grate an onion and sprinkle with brown sugar and leave until the sugar forms a syrup. Sip on the liquid in between those wracking coughing attacks for absolute relief.

My message.

Look after your immune system on a daily basis with good nutrition and by learn to cope with the stresses of life
Realize that your body’s magic is what will heal you and not the doctor or his poisonous chemical drugs or the supermarket offerings for coughs, colds and cauliflower ears
Be in touch with your body – repeated bouts of bronchitis, colds etc indicate that the body needs better care – take stock of how much raw living food you are consuming
Consider how much of your diet includes coffee, tea, sugar, fast foods, white rice, bread, pasta, MSG (found in Aramat, packet soups and sauces, and loads of other products) P.S. These foods do not build a healthy immune system
Be positive, laugh a lot (mostly at yourself and at life), find solutions not problems and most of all be grateful!